Sega Saturn controller

Overview

The Sega Saturn is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it is the successor to the successful Genesis. The Saturn has a dual-CPU architecture and eight processors. Its games are in CD-ROM format, including several ports of arcade games and original games.

Development of the Saturn began in 1992, the same year Sega's groundbreaking 3D Model 1 arcade hardware debuted. The Saturn was designed around a new CPU from the Japanese electronics company Hitachi. Another video display processor was added in early 1994 to better compete with the 3D graphics of Sony's forthcoming PlayStation.

The Saturn was initially successful in Japan but not in the United States, where it was hindered by a surprise May 1995 launch, four months before its scheduled release date. After the debut of the Nintendo 64 in late 1996, the Saturn rapidly lost market share in the US, where it was discontinued in 1998. The Saturn is considered a commercial failure; this was affected by the cancellation of Sonic X-treme, planned as the first 3D entry in Sega's popular Sonic the Hedgehog series. The Saturn was succeeded in 1998 by the Dreamcast, having sold 9.26 million units sold worldwide, most in Japan.

Details

Manufacturer

Sega

Type

Home video game console

Generation

Fifth

Released

JP November 22, 1994; NA May 11, 1995; EU July 8, 1995

Discontinued

EU 1998; NA March 1998; JP 2000

Units sold

Worldwide: 9.26 million; Japan: 5.75 million; United States: 1.8 million; Europe: 1 million; Elsewhere: 530,000

Media

CD-ROM, CD+G, CD+EG, Video CD, Mini CD, Photo CD, e-book

Processor

2× Hitachi SH-2 @ 28.6 MHz

Graphics

VDP1 & VDP2 video display processors each running @ 28.63636 MHz

Memory

2 MB RAM, 1.5 MB VRAM, 512 KB sound RAM, expandable with Extended RAM Cartridge

Storage

Internal RAM, cartridge

Sound

Yamaha YMF292

Online service

Sega NetLink

Predecessor

Sega Genesis

Successor

Dreamcast

Best-selling game

Virtua Fighter 2, 1.7 million (list)

Works with

Sega Saturn

Works with

• Sega Saturn

Sources

• Wikipedia overview and specifications
• Sega-Saturn-Console-Set-Mk2.png
• Sega-Saturn-Controller-NA-Mk-II-FL.jpg Evan-Amos Public domain
• Sega-Saturn-Controller-Mk-I-NA-FL.jpg Evan-Amos Public domain

The overview is adapted from Wikipedia and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence.

Checked October 2026.